Older Employees Bring Value to the Job

In a society where younger and faster seems to be a commodity, older workers may not be seen as the jewel they truly are. And this means employers could be missing out.

A new study published in APA's Journal of Applied Psychology® brings good news for older workers. According to the study, older executives bring valuable skills to the job, such as higher "crystallized intelligence," which includes verbal ability and knowledge born of experience.

Here are some reasons you should consider hiring an older worker:

1. Maturity seems to be the first thing that comes to mind. An older worker's years of experience has trained her well to solve problems without getting flustered.

2. Communications skills evolve as we age, and older workers understand how to express their ideas and manage relationships with coworkers and supervisors in a diplomatic way.

3. Loyalty is in the nature of older workers. According to a report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "The length of time a worker remains with the same employer increases with the age at which the worker began the job."

4. Work ethic is ingrained in older workers. According to a 2010 Pew Research Center survey, "Nearly 6 in 10 respondents cited work ethic as one of the big differences between young and old. Asked who has better work ethic, about 3/4 of respondents said that older people do."

​5. Wisdom is more than what an older worker may know about the job – it is the result of experience that allows them to mentor other employees.